A number of mats or pads have been devised in the past for providing support and protection for a user. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,356,593; 1,372,846; 2,751,609; 2,853,399; 3,323,151; 3,863,387; 4,658,452; and 4,671,393 all disclose mats or pads of various types designed to be placed on the ground or other surfaces. The objective of these devices is generally to insulate and protect a user from moisture, heat or cold, or other uncomfortable and possibly harmful conditions.
Prior art arrangements such as those described in the above-identified patents are not satisfactory for providing protection and support for a user who performs work on or about a tire on a vehicle. Typical examples of such endeavors are the installation of snow chains, the removal of snow chains, and tire changing and repair.
The principal reason the prior art mats and pads are deficient in this regard is that the shapes thereof restrict their placement to only one side of a tire. A person working on or about a tire on a vehicle, however, often finds himself with a portion of his anatomy on more than one side of the tire at a given time. For example, the installation and removal of tire chains often requires that the person performing the job have his elbows, and perhaps other portions of his body as well, engage the ground or other supporting surface both under the vehicle and at a side of the vehicle at the same time. And, of course, tire chains are usually installed and removed under harsh conditions.